“If music stops being fun, it’s not worth it”: the world according to Beartooth

After growing up on a steady diet of mid-90s metal, Beartooth reflect on how they’re now influencing the next generation of bands

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Beartooth started off as your solo project after Attack Attack!. Does it feel more like a proper band these days?

Caleb Shomo (Vocals): “Absolutely. We’ve all been touring together for over three years now, and we’ve definitely got a family vibe going as a band. Everyone is an integral part of the rocking.”

You recently led a Grammy workshop to help high school students with their songwriting skills. What was it like to teach?

“We met a few people from the Grammys recently and they told us more about what they do with students. I’ve never had a chance to do a workshop like that, so when the opportunity came up, I was pumped about it. It was an amazing experience and I got to meet a ton of talented kids. Hopefully they learned something that could help them out in their future careers.”

What lessons have you learned from being in Attack Attack! And Beartooth at such a young age?

“Most importantly, I’ve learned that if the music stops being fun, it’s not worth it. Life’s about finding things that make you happy. Music is about expressing emotion. When it only becomes a miserable job to make money, it loses a lot of its charm and honesty. With Beartooth, it’s been pretty easygoing. Yeah, depression has been a struggle, but I try not to spend time dwelling on it anymore. I’m looking towards the bright side all I can these days.”

Who from the metal world influenced you growing up?

“Rage Against The Machine are a massive influence on me. The things they stood for, their amazing live show, the way Zack could crush it as a frontman and get everybody going. They were massive.”

Beartooth have been touring and touring. Have you developed any pre-show rituals?

“We have a new song that we’ve come up with that we sing before the show that gets us pumped up. That, or we just ring it and wing it. We’re gonna be touring plenty, so keep an eye out for us!”